Systems and methods for controlling deployable devices on a boat

ABSTRACT

A system and method for controlling a deployable device on a boat. The deployable device is movable by a drive mechanism. The method includes receiving a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position; obtaining a controlling parameter for the drive mechanism based on the desired position; driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter; receiving, from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism; and driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position. The system comprises a controller including a memory and a processor being configured to perform the method.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/183,381, filed May 3, 2021, and titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING DEPLOYABLE DEVICES ON A BOAT,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling deployable devices on a boat, particularly deployable devices movably attached to recreational boats used for water sports. This disclosure also relates to boats equipped with such systems and non-transitory machine-readable media with instructions stored thereon to implement the methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In addition to cruising, recreational boats may also be used for other activities on the water, including water sports such as water skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, wake foiling, and the like. Recreational boats are often used to tow water sports participants during water skiing and wakeboarding, and to tow sports participants, at least at the beginning of a ride, during wake surfing and wake foiling. For wake surfing and wake foiling, the water sport participant is propelled by the wake produced by the recreational boat, so the participant may let go of the tow line after getting up to speed. Recreational boats may be equipped with devices that are used to help set the conditions of the water sport. These devices may be positioned to provide optimized wakes for a particular type of water sport. The wake also may be optimized for the preferences and skill level of the participant. More specifically, water skiers generally prefer a relatively smooth water surface, while wakeboarders and wake surfers desire bigger wakes with more defined shapes. The devices used for forming such wakes can be, for example, surf devices or trim tabs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling deployable devices on a boat, particularly deployable devices movably attached to recreational boats used for water sports.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a system, including a controller, for controlling a deployable device on a boat. The controller includes a memory having stored thereon executable instructions and a processor in communication with the memory. When executing the instructions, the processor is configured to receive a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position. The deployable device is movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position. The desired position is one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position, and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position. The processor is also configured to obtain a controlling parameter for the drive mechanism based on the desired position and drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter. The processor is further configured to receive, from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The position sensor measures a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The processor is even further configured to drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a boat. The boat includes the system for controlling a deployable device on the boat as discussed above. The boat further includes the deployable device, the drive mechanism and the position sensor that communicate to the system for controlling a deployable device on the boat. The deployable device is movably attached to the boat to move between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position. The drive mechanism is connected to the deployable device and configured to move the deployable device. The position sensor is configured to measure the position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for controlling a deployable device on a boat. The method includes receiving a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position. The deployable device is movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position, and the desired position is one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position. The method further includes obtaining a controlling parameter for the drive mechanism based on the desired position and driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter. The method even further includes receiving from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The position sensor measures a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The method even further includes driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a non-transitory machine-readable media for controlling a deployable device on a boat. The non-transitory machine-readable media includes instructions stored thereon. The instructions are configured to, when executed, cause a processor to receive a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position. The deployable device is movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position. The desired position is one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position. The instructions are further configured to cause the processor to obtain a controlling parameter for a drive mechanism based on the desired position and drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter. The instructions are even further configured to cause the processor to obtain from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The position sensor measures a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism. The instructions are even further configured to cause the processor to drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position.

These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure may be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale. Throughout the figures, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary boat according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the boat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view of a surf device attached to a port side of the transom of the boat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a port side view of the boat shown in FIG. 1, with the surf device in a fully non-deployed position.

FIG. 5 is a port side view of the boat shown in FIG. 1, with the surf device in a deployed position.

FIG. 6 is a port side view of the boat shown in FIG. 1, with the surf device in a fully deployed position

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a deployable device control system for the boat shown in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a deployable device control method for controlling the deployment of a surf device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The term “exemplary” is used to mean “an example of” and, unless otherwise stated, does not imply an ideal or preferred example, implementation, or embodiment. The present invention may be embodied in a variety of different forms, and the claimed subject matter is not limited to any of the specific embodiments set forth below. The present invention may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems, and the embodiments described in this disclosure may take, for example, the form of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.

The exemplary implementations and/or embodiments described in this disclosure can be used to improve performance of a boat to provide a consistent and repeatable wake for water sports, achieving a better or optimal experience for boat operators and water sports performers alike.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a boat 100 that may be equipped with a system for controlling deployable devices according to various embodiments of this disclosure (a deployable device control system 700, see FIG. 7). The boat 100 may include a hull 110 with a bow 112, a transom 114, a port side 116, and a starboard side 118, which collectively define an interior 130 of the boat 100. Within the boat's interior 130 is a control console 200 and a captain's chair 132 located at the control console 200. The control console 200 is used to operate the boat 100, and the operator of the boat 100 may be seated in the captain's chair 132 when operating the boat 100. The control console 200 has a boat control system installed therein for general control of the boat 100. The control console 200 includes controls for operating the boat 100 on the water and controls specific to various water sports. Any suitable control system may be used on the boat 100. An example of a suitable boat control system is the control system disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0314487, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The deployable device control system 700 may be a separate control system that is communicatively coupled to the boat control system, but, in some embodiments, the boat control system may incorporate the deployable device control system 700 to provide improved user experiences.

The boat control system may carry out its control functionalities by communicating with the operator via a user interface. Through the user interface, the boat control system obtains input from and transmits output to the operator of a boat. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the control console 200 includes two displays, a center display 201 and a side display 202, as user interfaces of the control console 200. The center display 201 is positioned and oriented to face the operator for ease of operating the boat on the water. Both the center display 201 and the side display 202 may be a touchscreen with virtual buttons or other virtual control icons or arrows. The side display 202 is used for dynamic controls of the boat 100, such as controls for water sports and controls for entertainment like playing music, for example. The operator can send commands to the boat control system through the control console 200. The boat control system receives the commands and controls the boat to carry out the received commands. Similarly, any feedback by the boat control system is presented to the operator via the displays 201 and 202. Any suitable number of displays may be deployed on a boat as a user interface to communicate with the operator. Similarly, any number of suitable devices other than the displays shown in FIG. 1 may be used as a user interface, such as switches, buttons, a touchpad, and the like.

The boat 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a recreational boat, particularly an inboard boat that is configured to be used with water sports, such as water skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, wake foiling, and the like. In this embodiment, the bottom of the hull 110 of boat 100 has a generally V-shaped bottom with a dead rise on either side of the centerline 102 of the boat. Other suitable shapes, such as a generally flat or horizontal bottom, and the like, also may be used. Furthermore, the deployable device control system 700 and corresponding methods discussed herein, also can be used on other types of boats, for example, an outboard boat, jet boat, a sterndrive, and the like.

The boat 100 is equipped with a tower 160 for towing a water sports participant. The tower 160 has a tow-line-attachment structure 162 at its upper portion to connect a tow-line for towing a water sports participant, such as a wakeboarder. The boat 100 also may include a capability to add ballast. Ballast may be used to increase the weight and displacement of the boat 100 and thus increase the size of the wake for water sports. Any suitable means to add ballast may be used, including ballast bags (sacks) or ballast tanks. The boat 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes two ballast tanks, a port ballast tank 142 and a starboard ballast tank 144, in the stern of the boat 100 near the bottom of the hull 110. Alternatively, or additionally, other ballast bags or tanks could be positioned within the boat 100. Similarly, ballast could be positioned at locations other than in the stern of the boat 100, such as along the centerline 102 of the boat near the bottom of the hull 110, forward of the ballast tanks 142 and 144.

To be used for water sports, the boat 100 may be equipped with various devices that interact with water flowing past the hull 110 to enhance or otherwise adjust the wake produced by the boat 100 for water sports. The devices may be deployed to a position to interact with the water and produce a desired size or shape of the wake based on the preferences and the level of skill of the water sports participant. Such devices are examples of deployable devices that may be controlled by the deployable device control system 700 according to various embodiments of this disclosure. Examples of the deployable devices shown in FIG. 1, include a surf device 152 attached to the port side of the transom 114, a surf device 154 attached to the starboard side of the transom 114, and a center tab 156 attached to the transom 114 between the port surf device 152 and the starboard surf device 154. As will be described in more detail below, each of the port surf device 152, the starboard surf device 154, and the center tab 156 are movable from a non-deployed position to a deployed position by a drive mechanism such as a linear actuator 158. In this embodiment, each of the port surf device 152, the starboard surf device 154, and the center tab 156 are attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100, but the deployable devices may be attached to other parts of the boat as well, including the port and starboard sides of the boat, the underside of the hull, or a swim platform, for example.

As will be described in more detail below, each of the port surf device 152 and the starboard surf device 154 may be moved to a deployed position to interact with water flowing past the hull 110 of the boat 100 and form a desired wake water sports such as, wakeboarding, wake surfing, or wake foiling. Positioning the port surf device 152 and/or the starboard surf device 154 in the deployed position may adjust the size and/or shape of the wake. Suitable surf devices 152, 154 may include the port and starboard wake-modifying devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,833,286, 9,802,684, and 10,358,189, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. However, other suitable surf devices may also be used as the deployable devices, in addition to or in lieu of the port surf device 152 and starboard surf device 154.

FIG. 3 shows the port surf device 152 on the port side of the transom 114 of the boat 100 shown in FIG. 1. The port surf device 152 shown in FIG. 3 includes a plate-like member 300 that is pivotably attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The plate-like member may pivot about pivot axis 310 to move between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position, as will be explained in detail in conjunction with FIGS. 4-6. In this example, the pivot axis is a piano hinge that is welded to a leading portion of the plate-like member 300 and attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100 using screws. However, any suitable pivotable connection may be used to attach the surf device 152 to the transom 114 of the boat 100. Any suitable means for attachment may be used to attach the port surf device 152 to the transom 114, including, but not limited to, bolts, screws, rivets, welding, and epoxy. Alternatively, the port surf device 152 may be removably attached to the boat 100 by any suitable means, such as suction cups. In this way, the port surf device 152 is attachable/detachable depending on the need of an operator of the boat 100.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the port surf device 152 includes two upturned surfaces 320, 330 at the outboard edge of the plate-like member 300 and two downturned surfaces 340, 350 at the trailing edge of the plate-like member 300. However, the port surf device 152 is not limited to the specific upturned and downturned surfaces shown in FIG. 3. Instead, the port surf device 152 may have different numbers of downturned and/or upturned surfaces, and these surfaces may have different shapes or different angles relative to the plate-like member 300. Furthermore, the port surf device 152 does not necessarily have to have an upturned or downturned surface and could be flat instead.

The discussion of the port surf device 152 above also applies to the starboard surf device 154. In some embodiments, the port surf device 152 and the starboard surf device 154 are mirror images of each other. But in other embodiments, the configurations and arrangements of the port surf device 152 and the starboard surf device 154 may differ from each other, such as by having different numbers and arrangements of the upturned surfaces 320, 330 and downturned surfaces 340, 350, for example.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the center tab 156 is a trim device that is positioned to span the centerline 102 of the boat 100. In addition to being used as a trim device to adjust the trim of the boat 100, the center tab 156 also may be used to modify the wake of the boat 100. For example, by lifting the stern of the boat 100, the center tab 156 may minimize the wake of the boat 100 to obtain a relatively smooth water surface which is desirable for water skiing.

In this embodiment, the center tab 156 is a generally rectangular trim tab that is pivotably attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The center tab 156 may include a plate-like member and pivot about a pivot axis to move between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position. Similar to the pivot axis of the surf device 152, the pivot axis of the center tab 156 may be any suitable pivotable connection affixed to the transom 114 of the boat 100. Similar to the surf device 152, the center tab 156 also may be movably attached to the transom 114 of the boat 100. The geometry and configuration of the center tab 156 is not limited to the device shown in FIG. 1 and described above. Other devices, such as the center wake-modifying devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,358,189, may be used. U.S. Pat. No. 10,358,189 is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

As noted above, the deployable devices and, more specifically in this embodiment, the port surf device 152, the starboard surf device 154, and the center tab 156, may be movable by a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism can be any suitable drive mechanism, including for example, an actuator, particularly a linear actuator. The linear actuator may be, for example, an electric linear actuator or an electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA). A suitable electric linear actuator may be one from Lenco Marine of Stuart, Fla., and a suitable electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA) may be one available from Parker Hannifin of Marysville, Ohio. Other examples of suitable actuators include, for example, gas assist pneumatic actuators, electrical motors, and so on. The drive mechanism is operable under the control of the deployable device control system according to various embodiments of the disclosure to move its connected deployable device to a desired position.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a linear actuator 158 is provided as an example of the drive mechanism to move a deployable device connected thereto. As shown in FIG. 1, one end of the linear actuator 158 is connected to the transom 114 of the boat 100 and the other end is connected to the respective deployable device, such as the surf devices 152, 154 and the center tab 156 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, each of the surf devices 152, 154 and the center tab 156 is independently movable by its own linear actuator 158. In other embodiments, one drive mechanism may be used to move two or more deployable devices. In such a case, the deployable devices may be driven by the drive mechanism simultaneously.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are port side views of the boat 100 shown in FIG. 1, with the surf device 152 in a fully non-deployed position, a deployed position, and a fully deployed position, respectively. The following discussion of the deployment of the port surf device 152 is provided as an example of deployment of a deployable device. The discussion of the movement and control of the port surf device 152 is equally applicable to the starboard surf device 154 and is also applicable to the center tab 156.

One end of the linear actuator 158 is connected to the transom 114 of the boat 100 and the other end is connected to the plate-like member 300 of the surf device 152 (see also FIG. 3). The surf device 152 is movable by the linear actuator 158 within a range from a fully non-deployed position shown in FIG. 4 to a fully deployed position shown in FIG. 6. In other words, the surf device 152 may be positioned at the fully non-deployed position, at the fully deployed position, or at any position therebetween, i.e., between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position. Movement of the surf device 152 may be achieved by driving a rod 360 of the linear actuator 158 to pivot the plate-like member 300 about the pivot axis 310. The rod 360 may be driven inward or outward to move the surf device 152, and more specifically, the plate-like member 300 about the pivot axis 310.

In non-deployed positions, the surf device 152 is positioned to not interact with water as it flows past the hull 110 and recovers behind the transom 114 while the boat 100 moves through the water. The recovering water generally travels at an upward angle relative to a surface of static water. In order to not interact with the recovering water, the surf device 152 may be positioned at the fully non-deployed position with an upward angle α relative to the surface of static water. In this discussion, the deployed and non-deployed angles are taken from relative to static water. These angles may also be taken from other suitable reference surfaces, such as the bottom of the transom 114, or a generally horizontal reference surface on the boat 100. A generally horizontal reference surface may include, for example, a floor of the boat 100 in the cockpit, or an upper surface of the swim platform.

The upward angle α may be smaller or bigger based on different configurations of the boat 100, such as displacement, speed of the boat 100, and the like. The maximum value of the upward angle α is the fully non-deployed position of the surf device 152 shown in FIG. 4. When the surf device 152 is moved to this fully non-deployed position, the position of the trailing edge of the plate-like member 300 of the surf device 152 is shown in FIG. 4. At this position, the trailing edge of the plate-like member 300 is located at the highest position in the vertical direction from the bottom edge of the transom 114. At this position, the rod 360 of the linear actuator 158 is at its shortest length. The amount that the rod 360 is extend from this position is referred to herein as the extension length of the rod 360. In some embodiments, there may be a plurality of non-deployed positions for the surf device 152. In such non-deployed positions, the rod 360 linear actuator 158 may be extended from its fully retracted position but has not been extended to drive the surf device 152 to a deployed position, as discussed below.

When the boat 100 is used for water sports, such as wake surfing or wake foiling, and the like, the surf device 152 is moved to a deployed position to interact with the recovering water and form a desired wake for the surfer or foiler. An example of a deployed position is shown in FIG. 5, wherein the plate-like member 300 of the surf device 152 has a downward angle β relative to the surface of static water. To move the surf device 152 from a non-deployed position to the deployed position, a motor of the linear actuator 158 drives the rod 360 to extend farther therefrom. In the deployed position, the trailing edge of the surf device 152 is lower in the vertical direction, than it is in any of the non-deployed positions discussed above, such as the fully non-deployed position. Similarly, the downturned surfaces 340 and 350 are lower in the vertical direction than they are in any of the non-deployed positions as well. In a deployed position, the recovering water impinges on the surf device 152 as the boat 100 moves through the water, creating an upward force on the surf device 152. As a result, the portion of the boat 100 to which the surf device 152 is attached, i.e., the port side of the transom 114 in this embodiment, is raised. This port side is referred to as the non-surf side. Raising the port side may cause an increase in displacement on the opposite side, the starboard side of the transom 114, which is referred to as the surf side. Such increase in displacement may increase the size of the wake on the starboard side for wake surfing.

The surf device 152 may be moved by the linear actuator 158 to a plurality of different deployed positions for different sizes and shapes of the wake. As noted above, these different positions, and resultant sizes and shapes of the wake, may be based on the preferences of the water sports participant. In each of the different deployed positions, the surf device 152 may be pivoted downwardly at a different downward angle β relative to the surface of the static water. Because the value of the downward angle also indicates the degree of deployment of the surf device 152, the downward angle is also called a deployment angle. Deployment angle (or downward angle β) may also be taken relative to the fully non-deployed position instead of the surface of the static water (or other generally horizontal surface of the boat 100).

In some embodiments, the deployment angle β may be directly proportional to the size of the wake. The larger the deployment angle β, the bigger the wake produced by the surf device 152. The maximum value of the deployment angle β indicates the lowest point that the trailing edge of the plate-like member 300 of the surf device 152 can reach in the vertical direction, relative to the bottom of the transom 114 or the fully non-deployed position. This maximum value of the deployment angle β is indicated as ζ in FIG. 6. This position, which is shown in FIG. 6, is the fully deployed position of the surf device 152. The surf device 152 may be moved to this position by driving the linear actuator 158 to extend the rod 360 of the linear actuator 158 to reach its full stroke length. For example, if the maximum stroke length of the linear actuator 158 is four inches, the surf device 152 would be moved to its fully deployed position when the rod 360 is extended four inches.

In addition to expressing the different deployed positions of the surf device 152 with a deployment angle β, a percentage of deployment also may be used to express different deployed positions. The fully non-deployed position (which is a fully retracted position) is 0% deployment. The fully deployed position is 100% deployment.

To form a repeatable surfing wake, it's important to drive the rod 360 of the linear actuator 158 to move the surf device 152 to a desired position as accurately as possible. This is because a small change in the deployment angle or percentage of deployment of the surf device 152 may have a significant impact on the characteristic of the wake. For example, a change in the deployment angle as little as 5% can have a noticeable impact on the characteristic of the wake. In an example where the maximum value of the deployment angle β (angle ζ in FIG. 6) is about 12°, a 5% error of the deployment angle is merely 0.6°. In another example, the surf device 152 may have a total vertical travel length from the fully non-deployed position to the fully deployed position of 26 inches, but the linear actuator 158 may only have a stroke length of four inches. In this case, 5% vertical travel of the surf device is 1.3 inch movement of the surf device 152 in the vertical direction, and 5% travel of the rod 360 is merely 0.2 inch of travel of the rod 360. Although other deployable devices used for forming a wake of the boat may have smaller amounts of vertical travel, for example, in the range of 0.8 inch to 1.0 inch with 5% of vertical travel, the impact on the wake is still noticeable for the water sports participant.

From these examples, it can be seen that a high degree of accuracy in the positioning and control of the drive mechanism, such as the linear actuator 158, is advantageous. Doing so allows the user to obtain repeatable waves for a consistent or improved user experience. Preferably, the drive mechanism, such as the linear actuator 158, is controlled to an accuracy of +/−1% or less of the above percentage of deployment or deployment angle to provide for an optimized user experience. In this regard, a position sensor, such as a position sensor 370 shown in FIG. 3, may be used to detect the real-time position of the deployable device and/or the drive mechanism. For example, the position sensor 370 may be used to detect the movement and/or position of the linear actuator 158. More specifically, the position sensor 370 may be mounted in a position to monitor the extended (or retracted) length of the rod 360. The position sensor 370 may measure, for example, the extension length of the rod 360, which indicates the position of the linear actuator 158 and surf device 152. In an alternative embodiment, the position sensor 370 may be located close to the surf device 152 to measure the location of the surf device 152 directly. Any suitable position sensor 370 may be used here, include, for example, a Hall effect magnetic sensor, and the like. The position sensor 370 shown in FIG. 3 is connected to the linear actuator 158 by a wire. Any other form of connection, which is appropriate for the position sensor to communicate and/or make a measurement, may also be used. For example, a wireless electrical connection, magnetic connection, induction, etc.

FIG. 7 shows a deployable device control system 700 that may be used on the boat 100 shown in FIG. 1, according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. To be concise, FIG. 7 only shows some relevant parts for carrying out the illustrated embodiments of this disclosure, but as discussed above, such deployable device control system 700 may be incorporated into an existing boat control system. The deployable device control system 700 also may be a standalone system. The deployable device control system 700 itself also may be expanded to include other controls for the boat 100. In this regard, the deployable device control system 700 may have more physical or communicative connections with other devices and components of the boat 100.

As shown in FIG. 7, the deployable device control system 700 includes a controller 710. The controller 710 may be a microprocessor-based controller that includes a processor 711 for performing various functions, which will be discussed further below, and a memory 712 for storing various data. The controller 710 also may be referred to as a central processing unit (CPU) in some suitable instances. In an embodiment, the various functions and processes discussed below may be implemented by way of a series of instructions stored in the memory 712 and executed by the processor 711, and thus in some embodiments, the deployable device control methods discussed below may be implemented by way of a series of instructions stored in the memory 712 and executed by the processor 711.

The deployable device control system 700 and, more specifically, the controller 710 is communicatively and operably coupled to a drive mechanism 730 of a deployable device 740 to control the movement of the deployable device 740. The deployable device 740 may be the deployable devices discussed above, such as the port surf device 152, the starboard surf device 154, and the center tab 156. As noted above, the deployable device control system 700 and methods discussed herein may be applied to any other deployable devices, including other trim devices and other deployable devices used for water sports such as other surf devices. In addition to the devices discussed above, other trim devices that may include the trim devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,914,503, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The controller 710 interacts with drive mechanism 730, such as the linear actuator 158 shown in FIG. 1, to move the deployable device 740 from its fully non-deployed position to its fully deployed position, and positions therebetween. The deployable device control system 700 may be communicatively connected to an input device 720 on the boat, such as the center display 201 and/or a side display 202 shown in FIG. 1, to receive a position input by the operator. This position input is an indication of the desired position of the deployable device 740, and, as will be discussed further below, the controller 710 moves the deployable device 740 to a position based on the input position. As discussed above, the input device 720 may be any suitable input device, and the position input may be, for example, a percentage of deployment of the surf device 152.

The controller 710 also is communicatively coupled to a position sensor 370 shown in FIG. 3, to receive an output therefrom. This output indicates a measured real-time location of the drive mechanism and/or the deployable device. Upon receiving an output from the position sensor 370, the controller 710 is able to track and calculate the location of the drive mechanism and/or the deployable device, such as the percentage of deployment of the surf device 152.

One method for controlling the drive mechanism 730 and thus the deployment of the deployable device such as the surf device 152, is to control a parameter of the drive mechanism. For example, when the drive mechanism includes a motor, more particularly an electrical motor in the linear actuator 158, the duration of time that an electrical current is supplied to the motor can be used as a parameter to control the linear actuator 158. A curve may be developed for a desired position of the surf device 152, as a function of the time an electrical current is supplied to the motor of the linear actuator 158. The memory 712 may store the current position of the surf device 152. When a change is desired, such as when the controller 710 receives via the input device 720 a command indicating that the operator wants to have a different wake characteristic by positioning the surf device 152 to another position (position input), the controller 710 may move the surf device 152 to the new desired position. The controller 710 may move the surf device 152 by controlling the duration of time that current is applied to the motor of the linear actuator 158 based on the developed function. Additionally or alternatively, a look-up table corresponding to the curve may be developed and stored in the memory 712 of the controller 710. Then to control the deployment of the surf device 152, the controller 710 may retrieve the stored data, such as the duration of time, rather than generate a data based on the function.

In another embodiment, the controlling parameter may be the current supplied to the electrical motor of the linear actuator 158, such as the amperage or the voltage of the electrical current used to drive the motor of the linear actuator 158. For example, the amperage or voltage of the current could be adjustable and used as a controlling parameter. In some embodiments, the duration of time for the current to be applied to the motor of the linear actuator 158 is a constant value when using amperage or voltage as the controlling parameter. Other forms of adjustments or suitable combinations of the controlling parameters illustrated herein are also applicable based on the specific application environment. Furthermore, the selected controlling parameter may be used to develop a curve or a look-up table to be stored in the memory 712 and used by the controller 710 to control the movement of the linear actuator 158.

Using only a controlling parameter, such as time, however, may not achieve the desired accuracy for the movement of the drive mechanism 730 as discussed above. For example, a slip of the clutch system of the linear actuator 158, or a slower movement of the rod of the linear actuator 158 when a load is applied to the surf device 152, may result in the surf device 152 being moved to a position other than the desired position. Under such circumstances, controlling the movement of the linear actuator 158 merely based on the controlling parameter would result in degraded accuracy. This is not desired because it may reduce the repeatability of the desired wake due to the uncertainty in the position of the surf device 152.

Another method for controlling the drive mechanism and thus the deployment of the deployable device is to use a position sensor 370 to measure the position of the surf device and/or the drive mechanism directly. For example, the position sensor 370 may generate an output, such as volts corresponding to the position of the linear actuator 158 or the surf device 152. Then, the controller 710 of the deployable device control system 700 may use the output of the position sensor 370 as a reference to move the surf device 152 to a desired position. However, in the maritime environment, the position sensor 370 could be damaged or otherwise become inoperable in some circumstances. For example, it is not uncommon for a boat 100 to strike an object in the water, such as an object under the water or floating in the water in a manner that is hard to see. Such events could damage the position sensor 370 and cause it to become inoperable. If the control of the deployment of the surf device 152 is based on the position sensor 370 alone, inoperability of the position sensor 370 may not only result in an undesired accuracy of the deployment, but also a safety or stability issue for the boat 100. This is because surf devices, such as those described herein, can impact the dynamics and the lift of the boat 100. When travelling at lower speeds, for example between 9 mph and 12 mph, the surf devices are typically asymmetrically deployed for surfing and the boat is stable at such speeds. The loss or damage of the position sensor may result in inaccuracy and the inability to retract or deploy the surf devices. When a boat travels at higher speeds, the surf devices may be deployed for leveling the boat, i.e., being used as a trim tab to adjust the boat roll, and the surf devices are able to create large amounts of lift on the boat. In such case, the loss or damage of a position sensor may prevent the boat from retracting the surf devices and result in the instability in the boat. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, a method for controlling the drive mechanism 730 for the deployment of the deployable devices may use both the controlling parameter of the drive mechanism 730 and the output of the position sensor 370. Therefore, the potential instability of a boat could be avoided, or at least be alleviated.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of a deployable device controlling method, which will be discussed in conjunction with FIG. 7.

At step S801, the controller 710 receives a command, for example, a position input from the side display 202. The command (position input) indicates that the deployable device 740, such as the surf device 152, is desired to be moved to a position by the operator of the boat 100 or a water sports participant. This command may be a particular configuration set by the operator in real-time (e.g., a position input for a particular percentage deployment). This command also may be one of predefined configurations, which are stored in the memory 712 as profiles and retrieved by the controller 710 upon a selection by the operator via the side display 202. Such predefined configurations may be, for example, wake surfing profiles for a particular type of wake or for a specific user (water sports participant). As discussed above, the desired position may be one of the multiple non-deployed positions including the fully non-deployed position, or one of the multiple deployed positions including the fully deployed position. In other words, the desired position may be the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position, or any position therebetween.

At step S802, the controller 710 obtains the controlling parameter corresponding to the desired position. This controlling parameter may be used to control the drive mechanism 730, such as the linear actuator 158. The controlling parameter is derived or calculated based on the desired position indicated in the command (position input) received in step S801. As discussed above, the controlling parameter may be a duration (e.g., the period of time) that an electrical current is supplied to the motor of the linear actuator 158, and/or amperage or voltage of the electrical current supplied to the linear actuator 158. Other calculated or derived suitable parameter that allows the controller to control the movement of the drive mechanism to a desired position, which is not a direct output of a position sensor, also may be used as the controlling parameter herein. In some embodiments, the controlling parameter may be generated by the controller 710 on the basis of the developed function as discussed above, or retrieved from a look-up table stored in the memory 712 directly.

At step S803, the controller 710 drives the drive mechanism 730, e.g., the linear actuator 158, based on the obtained controlling parameter. The linear actuator 158 in turn moves the surf device 152 to the desired position, by moving its rod 360 to an appropriate stroke length. For example, the surf device 152 may be moved from the fully non-deployed position (the fully retracted position) to 50% deployed position, based on the value of the controlling parameter (e.g., the period of time) stored in the memory 712 that corresponds to the 50% deployed position.

At step S804, subsequent to driving the drive mechanism based on the controlling parameter, the controller 710 receives an output corresponding to a real-time position of the linear actuator 158 or the surf device 152 from a position sensor, such as the position sensor 370 shown in FIG. 3.

At step S805, the controller 710 drives the linear actuator 158 to move the surf device 152 to its final position based on the output received from the position sensor 370 at step S804. The output of the position sensor 370 is the real-time position of the linear actuator 158 or the surf device 152 after a moving based on the controlling parameter. In this embodiment, a small feedback loop kicks in, where the position sensor 370 is used to dial in the final location of the surf device 152 within a specified accuracy, such as +/−1% as mentioned above. In this way, the output of the position sensor 370 is used for carrying out a fine adjustment for the position of the surf device 152. As such, the desired position of the surf device 152 can be controlled more accurately with appropriate redundancies built into the system, particularly for the maritime environment. Using an output from a position sensor allows a higher accuracy and repeatability in the position of the deployable device 740 as compared to controlling the position of the deployable device 740 based on the controlling parameter alone.

In an embodiment, considering the significance of the surf device position in making surf wakes, the deployable device control system 700 may additionally include an overrun logic. The overrun logic may be used when the desired position of the surf device 152 is the fully non-deployed position or the fully deployed position, with additional steps to carry out. Specifically, as discussed above, the controller 710 receives a command indicating that the surf device 152 is desired to be moved to the fully non-deployed position or the fully deployed position. Then the controller 710 obtains the corresponding controlling parameter, and drives the linear actuator 158 to move the surf device 152 to the desired position, either the fully non-deployed position or the fully deployed position, based on the controlling parameter. The controller 710 subsequently drives the linear actuator 158, for an additional period of time. For example, the electrical current applied to the linear actuator 158 may be supplied for an additional period of time, such as a second, and the like. This may help ensure that the surf device 152 is in its fully retracted or fully deployed position to be used as a suitable reference point when the surf device 152 is required to move to a new position later. The controller 710 may perform this subsequent step, i.e., driving the linear actuator 158 for the additional period of time, before or after the surf device 152 is moved to its final position (before either step S804 or S805, or after step S805).

Although this invention has been described with respect to certain specific exemplary embodiments, many additional modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure. It is therefore to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Thus, the exemplary embodiments of the invention should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention to be determined by any claims supportable by this application and the equivalents thereof, rather than by the foregoing description. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for controlling a deployable device on a boat, the system comprising a controller, the controller including: a memory having stored thereon executable instructions; and a processor in communication with the memory and, when executing the instructions, configured to: receive a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position, the deployable device being movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position, the desired position being one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position, and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position; obtain a controlling parameter for the drive mechanism based on the desired position; drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter; receive, from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism, the position sensor measuring a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism; and drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controlling parameter is at least one of a duration, an amperage, and a voltage of an electrical current applied to the drive mechanism.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory has further stored thereon a function or a look-up table of the desired position and the controlling parameter, and the processor is configured to obtain the controlling parameter based on the function or the look-up table.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory has further stored thereon a function of the desired position and a duration of an electrical current applied to the drive mechanism, and the controlling parameter is the duration of the electrical current applied to the drive mechanism.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the desired position is a percentage of deployment.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, when the desired position is the fully non-deployed position or the fully deployed position, drive the drive mechanism for an additional period of time after driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to the final position based on the controlling parameter.
 7. A boat comprising: the control system of claim 1; the deployable device movably attached to the boat, the deployable device being movable between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position; the drive mechanism connected to the deployable device and configured to move the deployable device; and the position sensor configured to measure the real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism.
 8. The boat of claim 7, further comprising a hull, the deployable device being movably attached to the hull.
 9. The boat of claim 8, wherein, when the desired position is a deployed position and the deployable device is moved to the desired position, at least a portion of the deployable device is configured to interact with water flowing past the hull as the boat moves through the water.
 10. The boat of claim 7, wherein the deployable device is one of a surf device and a trim device.
 11. The boat of claim 7, wherein the drive mechanism is an actuator, the actuator being one of an electrical actuator and an electro-hydraulic actuator.
 12. The boat of claim 11, wherein the actuator includes an extendable rod, and the position measured by the position sensor is a position of the extendable rod.
 13. The boat of claim 7, wherein the controlling parameter is at least one of a duration, an amperage, and a voltage of an electrical current applied to the drive mechanism.
 14. A method for controlling a deployable device on a boat, the method comprising: receiving a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position, the deployable device being movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position, the desired position being one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position, and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position; obtaining a controlling parameter for the drive mechanism based on the desired position; driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter; receiving, from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism, the position sensor measuring a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism; and driving the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling parameter is at least one of a duration, an amperage, and a voltage of an electrical current applied to the drive mechanism.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining the controlling parameter is based on a function or a look-up table of the desired position and the controlling parameter.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling parameter is the duration of the electrical current applied to the drive mechanism.
 18. The method of claim 14, further comprising driving, when the desired position is the fully non-deployed position or the fully deployed position, the drive mechanism for an additional period of time after driving the drive mechanism based on the controlling parameter.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the desired position is a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position.
 20. A non-transitory machine-readable media for controlling a deployable device on a boat, comprising: instructions stored on the non-transitory machine-readable media, the instructions configured to, when executed, cause a processor to: receive a command to deploy the deployable device to a desired position, the deployable device being movable by a drive mechanism between a fully non-deployed position and a fully deployed position, the desired position being one of the fully non-deployed position, the fully deployed position, and a position between the fully non-deployed position and the fully deployed position; obtain a controlling parameter for the drive mechanism based on the desired position; drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device based on the controlling parameter; receive, from a position sensor, an output corresponding to a real-time position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism, the position sensor being configured to measure a position of one of the deployable device and the drive mechanism; and drive the drive mechanism to move the deployable device to a final position based on the output of the position sensor and the desired position. 